Poison or fertilizer distributing machine



Aug. 29, 1944.

J. H. SINGLETON 2,357,141 POISON OR FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1943 s SheMs-Shet 1' Inventor fol/w fizzy/92 020 Aug. 1944- J. H. SINGLETON 2,357,141

POISON OR FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1943 SSheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 29, 1944.

J. H. SINGLETON 2,357,141 POISON on FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ir /&

24 2 f. I Inventor By 2mm Patented Aug. I

rorsou on 2,351,141 remmabrsrnmum G mcnma John Henry Singleton, Prattville, Ala. Application Januar 's-z, 194:, sci-m No. 473,729

3 Claims,

ing and tractor cultivators, former, without the necessity of making material structural alterations therein.

Another very important object 01' the invention is to provide a machine of the aforementioned character comprising novel means for controlling and regulating the discharge of the iluid.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a distributing machine or the character described which will be comparatively simple in construcat low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages. of the invention will become apparent from a studyoi the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention installed for operation as a poison sprayer or distributor on a walking cultivator.

Figure 2 is a detail view in vertical section through the partitioned funnel which receives the fluid and air from their respective tanks.

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation, showing the mounting and drive of the air compressor on the cultivator.

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation, showing the apparatus installed for operation as a tertilizer distributor on a walking cultivator.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the fertilizer distributor.

Figure 6 is a view in vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are cross sectional views taken substantially on the lines 1-1, H and !l,respectively, of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that reference numeral I designates generally a conventional walking cultivator comprising supporting wheels 2. a tongue 3, etc.

Mounted on the cultivator I is a fluid tank 4. The tank 4 is provided. on its forward end portion, with a filler neck a. An-air tank a is mounted on the tank 4. The air tank 8 is provided with a pressure gauge 1 and a safety valve 8. \1

pulley connection ii. A flexible conduit l4 connects tank 8.

Depending from the rear end portion of the tank 4 is a tunnel IS. The iunnel i5 is divided ll (see Figure 2) into spray nozzle 23. The valve 22 includes an operating lever 24.

ratus thus far described will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, as the cultivator travels over the ground the compressor i2 is driven by one of the wheels 2 for storing air under pressure in the tank 6. Poison in liquid form from the tank 4 flows downwardly by gravity through the chamber I8 of the funnel I5 and enters the pipe 2!. when the cultivator shovels 21 are lowered to working position, the coil spring 25 opens the valve 22 and the poison, under pressure of the air from the tank 8, is sprayed on the plants by the nozzle 23. The nozzle 23 moves directly over the plants to be sprayed. When the cultivator shovels 21 are raised to inoperative position the valve 22 closes for shutting ofi the poison and air. A suitable hook 2| is provided on the cultivator l for holding the shovels in raised position.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures4 to 9, inclusive, of the drawings is for the distribution of fertilizer in liquid form. In this arrangement, a post II is mounted on the usual toot yoke bar a of the cultivator I. Mounted on the upper portion of the post 29 is a forwardly extending bracket 3|. The bracket 8| includes, on its free end, an eye 32. A transversely extending arm 33 in the form of a rod is addustably secured in the eye 32 by a set screw 34. A clamp 35 is adjustably mounted on thearm 33. The pipe 2|, with the valve 22 on its lower end, is mounted for vertical adjustment in the clamp 35. A flexible conduit 36 connects the pipe 2| to the funnel i5.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the valve 22, the members 2|, 3|, etc. are mounted on the cultivator for raising and lowering with the shovels thereof. It will also be noted that the valve 22 is reversed and that th opening spring 25 for said valve is connected, at one end, to the rear end of the tongue 3 of the cultivator.

The poison spray nozzle 23 is removed and a fertilizer distributing head 31 is mounted on the valve 22 in lieu thereof. The head 31 includes an internally threaded sleeve 33 which is threadedly secured, at an intermediate point, on the lower end of the valve 22 for rotary adjustment in a horizontal plane. The sleeve 31 is provided, in its lower portion, with longitudinally spaced discharge ports 39.

The head 31 further comprises control tubes 40 which are threadedly mounted for adjustment in the sleeve 38 and'which project from the ends thereof. Caps 4| close the outer ends of the tubes 40. The tubes 40 have formed therein ports 42, all but the outermost of which may be brought selectively and adjustably into communication with the ports 39, with the exception of the innermost of said ports 39, for controlling and regulating the same. Lock nuts 43 secure the tubes 40 in adjusted position.

In operation, when the cultivator shovels 21 are lowered to working position, the coil spring 25 opens the valve 22. Liquid fertilizer from the tank 4 and air under pressure from the tank 6 enter the head 31 from the valve 22 and said fertilizer is uniformly distributed over a path of substantial width through the ports 39 and at times, the outermost of the ports 42. Th outermost ports 42 are exposed or open only when the tubes 40 are adjusted outwardly sufiiciently in the sleeve 38. The arrangement of the ports-42 is such that the ports39, or certain of said ports 39, may be opened and closed as desired. Also, by rotating the tubes 40 a small fraction of a turn, the volume of fertilizer passing through the ports 39 may be accurately controlled as desired.

When the cultivator shovels 2'! are raised, thereby elevating the valve 22, the coil spring 25 permits said valve to close.

It is believed that the many advantages of a poison'or fertilizer distributing machine con-- structed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a prefe' ed embodiment of the apparatus is as ,il lustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in th combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: i

1. In a device of the character described, a wheeled frame. a tank, for the reception 0|. 1

fluid, mounted on the frame, a funnel carried by the tank and including chambers, one of said chambers communicating with the fluid tank, a discharge pipe for the fluid connected to the funnel chambers, a compressed air tank mounted on the frame and connected to the other chamber of the funnel, a normally closed control valve for the discharge pipe, and means for opening the control valve.

2. The combination with a cultivator embodying two elements comprising a frame having supporting wheels and a support for shovels movable relative to the frame in a vertical plane to shift the shovels to operative and inoperative positions, of a fluid distributing apparatus comprising a tank, for the reception of a fluid, mounted on the cultivator frame, an air tank mounted on the cultivator frame, means operable by one of the wheels of the cultivator for compressing air in said air tank, a funnel carried by the tank and including chambers, one of the chambers communicating with the fluid tank, the other of said chambers communicating with the air tank, a discharge pipe communicating with the chambers, a normally closed control valve on said discharge pipe and. having two elements, embodying a casing and an operating handle, and resilient means connecting one said valve elements to one of the cultivator elements for opening the valve when the shovels are lowered to operative position, the other valve element being fixed to the other cultivator element.

3. The combination with a cultivator comprising a frame having supporting wheels, a support for shovels movable relative to the frame in a vertical plane to shift the shovels to operative and inoperative positions, and handles for the support for raising and lowering the shovels,

of a tank, for the reception of a liquid poison, mounted on the cultivator frame, a discharge control valve connected and in fixed relation to said tank and having an operating handle, a spray nozzle on said valve, and a coil spring connecting the valve handle to one of the cultivator handles for opening thereby when the shovels are lowered to operative position.

JOHN H. SINGLETON. 

